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Paris: Alex de Minaur\u2019s charmed life at Roland-Garros continues after Jakub Mensik, his next opponent, collapsed on court in the extreme heat and ended up being taken to the medical room in a wheelchair.<\/p>\n
While de Minaur enjoyed a walkover<\/a> on Wednesday after his second-round opponent Alexander Blockx was injured in practice, his potential third-round adversaries had to slog it out in what Mensik described as \u201cinsane conditions\u201d for four hours 41 minutes.<\/p>\n The Czech 26th seed ended up victorious but stricken on his back, unable to pick himself off the clay on Court No.6 for several minutes amid alarming scenes after battling to a 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (13-11) victory over Argentine Mariano Navone.<\/p>\n Somehow, Mensik, cramping up before serving the final point, managed to hit the winning forehand before dropping to the clay.<\/p>\n Medical staff put ice towels around his neck and chest and an ice pack on his forehead before helping him to his feet, but he\u2019d taken just a few steps towards the locker room when he was placed in a wheelchair.<\/p>\n This was less than 48 hours before he\u2019s due to play de Minaur, one of the fittest, fastest players on the circuit who delights in making it a physical trial.<\/p>\n Mensik was fuming about the ordeal in the heat.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s insane to play in this weather, and especially in front of the sun,\u201d he said. \u201cTo be there for more than four-and-a-half hours, that\u2019s just insane.<\/p>\n Related Article \u201cEven with the breaks, you don\u2019t have that much time. You have just one minute, which when you sit it\u2019s already just 30 seconds. There is not that much time to cool yourself down.\u201d<\/p>\n But Mensik, the last man to beat world No.1 Jannik Sinner<\/a> in February, insisted later he would be ready for the third-round duel on Friday.<\/p>\n \u201cEven if it looked horrible at the end, after 30 minutes in the locker rooms, when I was out of the sun, I started to feel much better. I\u2019m here, feeling pretty well,\u201d he said, admitting his \u201cbody just turned off\u201d.<\/p>\n Mensik said he\u2019d had an ice bath and done some recovery work in the gym after the match.<\/p>\n \u201cI would say I\u2019m feeling pretty well \u2013 it\u2019s just now about to put back the strength, a lot of fluids, and I\u2019ll be OK,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cAlex has something similar game style as Navone today, so, of course, it will be very, very difficult to put him under the pressure, but I\u2019m doing pretty well here, feeling really in good form, so I will do my best to keep fighting and to get the W.\u201d<\/p>\n All of which potentially spells good news for de Minaur, who\u2019s only needed three sets so far<\/a> against British qualifier Toby Samuel and is just a win away from a place in the last 16.<\/p>\n Serbian great Novak Djokovic placed ice packs around his neck and on top of his head during changeovers to keep cool amid the Paris heat wave.<\/p>\n The 39-year-old Djokovic was pushed by 74th-ranked French player Valentin Royer \u2013 who is 15 years younger than him \u2013 for more than 3\u00bd hours before he reached the third round with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (7-9), 6-3 victory.<\/p>\n For the fourth straight day of this year\u2019s tournament, the temperature rose above 32 degrees.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you play a three-and-a-half hour match on clay, it\u2019s long and very exhausting,\u201d Djokovic said. \u201cThese days have been really, really very challenging for a lot of players.\u201d<\/p>\n Djokovic suggested that organisers should consider moving more matches later in the day and night on days with extreme heat.<\/p>\n Related Article \u201cWith grand slams it shouldn\u2019t be an issue because we have so many courts,\u201d Djokovic said. \u201cIf you have certain days that you have extreme heat and conditions, then maybe that\u2019s something to consider.\u201d<\/p>\n The 15-seeded Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk beat Katie Volynets 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, 6-3 to extend her winning streak to 13 matches, but also felt the brutality of the conditions in her near three-hour match.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m most pleased that I didn\u2019t cramp to death or didn\u2019t pass out during this match,\u201d Kostyuk said. \u201cIt was not easy for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n AAP, AP<\/p>\n News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport are sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n![\"Jakub](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/6bae853341a43987d30746a33c896f7dbe349069.jpeg\")
Jakub Mensik collapses after his four-set victory in almost five hours of heat.Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"Thanasi](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/9f119f20f05a82739f60c40c23cd8d5d3984bbc1.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Mariano](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/e4a866f041bab59f5f375e23b0778746d464de06.jpeg\")
Mariano Navone congratulates a prone Jakub Mensik after the match.Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"Naomi](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/73c3fbf4b455337b72289073b17ffafca707830028476b9b79d2b7fae20dbdcc.gif\")
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